Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Help Me!!! Please!!! Potty-training related

People, I need some help. I am REALLY trying to get little Walter potty trained but I am not doing well. Not only do I have absolutely no idea what the tricks are but I also think this kid might be one of the most stubborn kids in the world.
A couple days ago I decided to crack down and get over this diaper phase. It is not fun to change the diaper of a 36 lb. beefcake of a two-year-old. I have put him on the potty numerous times over the last 6 months or so but he would never go. So Monday, when he woke up in the morning, I put him right on the potty. He hadn't peed since Sunday evening and he woke up with a dry diaper so I thought this would be pretty easy. He hadn't peed in at least 12 hours so he should have gone pretty quickly, but Noooooo. He sat on the toilet for 1hr. 15mins. before he FINALLY went. And, when he did finally go it was after a little whining, fussing session because he did not want to pee in the toilet.
He has now gone 3 times in the last 3 days but only after I made him sit and sit and sit until he finally went. But, if I take his word for it that he doesn't have to go and take him down he will pee in his pants within minutes. He is really driving me crazy.
So, my question is...What advice do you have? Do I keep him in pull-ups until he volunteers and then move him to underpants so that he doesn't pee on everything? Do I just keep him in underpants so he pees on himself and realizes that he hates it? Sometimes he says he is scared of the crocodiles and doesn't want to sit on the potty (apparently there are crocodiles in my toilet. who knew?). How do I deal with that? I have a potty chart on the wall, I have candy and movies that I am using to bribe him with. Does that work for other people because it isn't working so well around here yet. Any tricks I should know? Books I should read? Places I can send him to and they will take care of it and just send me back the new and improved, potty-trained version? : )
Anything you can give me would be amazingly helpful.
I am going to go sit by the toilet and try to wait him out again. Blah.
Much love. Peace out.

7 comments:

Sharol said...

Hi Stepanie- Here is my two cents after potty training my 2 year old. I kept him naked on the bottom all day(except for nap). Offer lots of liquids, so he HAS to go. It worked surprisingly fast for me. Also, get a stool and let him stand to pee like Daddy, so then the alligators can't get him. Hope it works !
Sharol(Austin)Bluemel

Rach n Adam said...

With Daken we always sat him on the toilet after swimming because we knew that he would have to go. With Ashlynne and Paityn I literally took them and sat them on the toilet every 15 minutes so they got use to it. I didn't do the pull-ups cuz they treated it just like a diaper. I used the training underwear that's thicker because they could feel when they were wet and realized that they didn't like that feeling. Also I agree that with boys, sometimes seeing daddy do it, helps! Good luck! I feel for ya!

Unknown said...

Duh! Make it fun. Put targets (fruit loops) into the toilet and let him shoot!! Haha! It's probably messy but at least he'll be entertained.

Meagan said...

hahaha, i obviously have no advice for potty training a kid however, Kelsie's advice was hilarious and i think i'm going to take note of that and store it on the back burners of my memory for some future time. :) good luck with things!

chloe's clan said...

I know this will sound crazy after potty training one child but sheesh stef - I don't know what to say. LOL Girls are different than boys and I never rushed Hananh and I don't plan to rush maizer. Maizer is 2 years 4 months. We rented this movie from the library about potty training and I thought it had good advice. We didn't use it on Hannah cause she was already well into the process, but it may work if you have his potty chair out and use it to sit on to read stories (fully clothes - not to go potty on) or siton to play a game etc. He then gets used to it and isn't afraid of it. We personally showed Hananh what all her stuffed animals or babies do on the potty with a little water behind their bums where she didn't see it or a tootsie roll dropped in when she didn't see I had it. Then she thought wow! My babies go potty! i can too! Maybe that would work? Good luck!! P.S. I didn't do the pull ups thing either.

KillmerFam said...

Hey Stef! We're potty training Michael, too. It's going pretty well, but he doesn't seem as stubborn (which is weird 'cause his mommy is VERY stubborn!) Anyway, I use M&M's. One for pee, two for poop. I've got his intervals to about every hour. He usually doesn't tell me he needs to go, and when I ask him, he usually tells me no, but I take him anyway and don't give him an option. I then make him sit on the toilet and not get up until he goes. I had him in pull-ups for awhile, but now just at night (he still wakes up wet). Someone told me that they use pennies instead of candy, and even taught them about tithing at the same time, but I had already started with the candy, and I like to be consistant. I don't even give him M&M's as a treat anymore, either, so he doesn't get confused. The key is to not ASK him if he has to go, he needs to just go. For me, as long as I take him about every hour, he does great! It's been over a week since you posted this, so hopefully things are going better. Good Luck!

Erin said...

I got nothing for you as far as boys go. Colby was just starting to potty train when he had his stroke but he was stubborn. We had made a chart and were doing stickers because that was his obsession at the moment. Riley has the oppostie problem. If I put her on the toilet it is hours before she wants to get off! I can't win either way! I hope it's going better for you now.